Leaping along in Llano, Texas

Well what a month it has been. I wish we could have leapt over the entire month. Our brother-in-law has spent most of it in the VA Hospital in Temple, Texas with a knee infection. We have made the two hour trip a few times, trying to help ease the boredom. The good news is he is coming home today! I know my sister and her family will be very happy to have him home. 

Sadly my Aunt was diagnosed with terminal, end stage breast cancer after what we thought was a year of surviving post treatment.  It has been a real shock to the whole family and has made Lou and I both remember how important it is for us to make each day count. We are both re-thinking our lives and making sure we are doing the things that really matter to us, the things that make our hearts sing.

Mesquite Valentines From Lou Quallenberg

4' Sculpted Hearts Mesquite Slab

Speaking of hearts Valentines Day was celebrated in our home in Llano, Texas with an amazing four foot, sculpted, dual heart, mesquite slab from the talented Lou Quallenberg.  The mesquite slab was left rough and unfinished with the mix of smooth hearts and  rugged texturing. (The photo does not do it justice I took it with my cell phone.)

I Just Love It! and have added it to my mesquite  heart collection that increases in size every February.  I know I have posted the photo before but I do enjoy my mesquite hearts that Lou makes and enjoy sharing them. Believe it or not each piece is usually created the day before Valentines Day.

Barry Bradley's "Two Halves Makes A Whole"

I also wanted to share this really cool limestone and mesquite heart by Barry Bradley of Artisans at Rocky Hill in Fredericksburg.  He always comes up with unique and interesting sculptures and furniture.   A True Artist.  

Speaking of Artists it is that time again.  @LAST Llano ART Studio Tour is the last Saturday in March. That makes it March 31st this year.  We are looking forward to the tour again this year and Lou will be doing a demo at 2:00pm on his turquoise inlay process and creating the mesquite laminate curves he uses in his mesquite furniture.

The following artists are participating this year:

Map 2012 @LAST Llano Art Studio Tour for use Saturday March 31st The Last Saturday in March Annually

@1
Ira Kennedy Home Studio
Painting Acrylic Ink
www.irakennedy.com/painting

@2
Texas Tin Lizard: Kathleen Smith
Mixed Media Bottle Trees
www.texastinlizard.com

@3
The Country Quilt Shop: Ann Fellar
Fabric & Quilts
www.quiltshopinthecountry.com

@4
Sweet Mesquite: Ken Cline
Wood & Frames
www.sweet-mesquite.com

@5
Tom Suarez Photography
www.tomsuarez.com

@6
Llano Fine Arts Guild
Guild Artists
www.llanofineartsgallery.org

@7
Nailhead Spur Company: Richard Wendt
Iron
www.nailheadspur.com

@8
DustDevilDiver Photography: Briley Mitchell
www.dustdevildiverphotography.com

@9
A Rosy Outlook
Mixed Media / Jewelry
www.arosyoutlook.com

@10
Gridiron Gallery: Jack Moss
Watercolor Western Art
www.thegridirongallery.com

@11
ClayThings: Lynda Hallmark Gammage

   Dana Williams Wood, the Single Tree Collection
   Shabby Chic

   Jane Lynch
   Altered Art

   Connie Lynch
   Stained Glass

@12
Sapphire (Sheri Zoch) Home Studio
Fused glass and oils

@13
Charles & Euneen Wendt Home Studio
Spurs, Iron, Fused Glass, Gourd Art
www.rockingwspurs.com

@14
Myrick Studio: Harriet Myrick
Mixed Media

@15
Bob & Lisa Pheil Home Studio
Iron & Baskets
www.pheilforges.com

@16
Lou Quallenberg Home Studio
Sculpted Mesquite Wood
www.LouQart.com

   Ralph Moresco
   Copper Wind Spirals
   www.westshorewindspirals.com

   Susie Fowler
   Shade Tree Potter
   www.shadetreepotter.com

Please respect the privacy of the Artists in Home Studios by making an appointment on dates other than the tour date of Saturday March 31st 2012.  Follow us on Facebook. and see photos of last years event.

 

Backyard Bluebonnet Bokeh by Briley Mitchell at DustDevilDiver Photography Llano,Texas

The bluebonnets are popping their heads out and with the recent rains it is setting up to be a good year for them.  I have included a photo of a few of these early blooming beauties taken by one of the @LAST Llano ART Studio Tour Artists, Briley Mitchell of DustDevilDiver Photography in Llano. Please note: This image is copyright protected with all rights reserved.

Lou has not had a camera in his hands in some time.  He has been busy in the shop but I hope to dust him off and drag him out as soon as there is a good show along the roadsides.  

If you get a chance it is a GREAT time to come and visit Llano, Texas.  Besides bluebonnets we also have a beautiful river with sandy granite beaches, a historic county courthouse and square, a bald eagles nest, and nearby is the incredible Enchanted Rock. The area is flooded with history and easily pulls up images of Cowboys and Indians riding horseback along the granite rocks and ridges.

A recent visitor posted about Llano, Texas and Coopers BBQ on twitter:

 @FrankBruni

New York Times Op-Ed columnist, food lover and author of several books, including the family and diet memoir Born Round New York, NY · http://tinyurl.com/3ev8hpn

"@FrankBruni: Finally made it to heaven. It's in Llano, Tex., and it's called Cooper's bbq. Brisket, pork ribs, taxidermy and ecstasy." posted Feb 25 @2:27pm

Don't forget to stop by the shop if you are in the area but do call ahead to be sure we are there. Life is short and I plan to make sure we put a few miles on the Harley this spring. At some point we hope to finally make it back to New Jersey for a long awaited visit with friends and family.

Bon Voyage! Safe Journey! & London here I come

Bon Voyage!! Tables leave the shop.

Shop to Trailer to London! Good Bye!

Bon Voyage!  We whispered aloud as the trailer pulled away from the shop. Safe journey was our wish for the two tables that were safely wrapped and strapped into the trailer being pulled by Thad Hanna of Fredericksburg Shipping. We had originally planned to follow the trailer and record the process of the journey that began in Llano and had two more stops before it even left the "Great State" of Texas. The mesquite tables were bound for Fredericksburg where Thad would work his magic, build crates and prepare the shipment for the port of Houston and it's long journey across the pond.  We thought this was our last glimpse of the tables and got a bit misty eyed. 

As they pulled out of the driveway almost on cue Lou received a phone call request from Joe Prest  of Hill Country Mesquite in the UK to add a block of mesquite wood to the shipment, if we had it on hand.  We found a nice piece of mesquite that fit the size requirements for the UK project so we took the trip to Fredericksburg.  This meant we got to see the girls one last time already safely packed into their crate and ready for their journey over seas.  

Lou gets to say goodbye AGAIN!

This one still needs it's crate.

Staked and Packed

I wish that my travel preparations were as easy as theirs looked from my perspective. Although I know we were not involved in the paperwork and delivery details, that I am sure could make a person CRAZY if they did not know what they were doing, shipping furniture to another country. So THANK YOU!! Thad Hanna and Amie & Joe Prest for your hard work and knowledge on both ends, that made this so easy for us here at Lou Quallenberg Studios in Llano, Texas.  

It is not that my travel arrangements are really all that difficult it's just that because of a few health and energy issues each step of the way has to be planned out with some scheduled down time.  

The part of the trip that British Airways is taking care of was all set up:

Feb 2nd

Global Entrepreneur Conference in New York

Celebrity Entrepreneurs Bill Rancic, Barbara Corcoran, Rhonda Abrams

Feb 3rd

Fly to London on Private British Airways Flight

Champagne Reception London

Feb 4th

Breakfast Conference London
Keith Williams, CEO, British Airways
Lord Stephen Green, UK Minister for Trade and Investment
Sir Clive Woodward, Olympic Performance Director, British Olympic Association

After Friday each of the 250 British Airways Face of Opportunity Award recipients are on their own with a free flight to ANYWHERE British Airways flys for their face to face meetings.  The destinations are as diverse as the businesses represented.  My plans for Cairo and the pyramids were changed due to the recent protests, violence and upheaval as I post this I am scrambling to make plans in Barcelona.

The group has already started networking on Linked In. Our frequent input (using Lou's profile-because I don't have time to manage his profile and mine) on the Linked In Group caused British Airways to invite us to be one of ten Quick Tips Filmmakers at the conference.  They will give me a question to ask as many of the people at the conference as i can while recording the answers. I have already connected with the lovely and talented Jennie Walker a musician with an incredible voice. Her song Night Flight to London (click here to hear it) is already my theme song for this trip and I am sure it will be the whole group's theme song by the end of the trip. I can't wait to know her better and hear that voice in person.

I am also looking forward to meeting Judith Z. Miller an artist that works with sticks and stones making an unusual line of wearable art. Judith hopes to head to Thailand after the conference if she can raise the funds on another award recipient Danae Ringlemann's website Indie GoGo a very cool crowd funding or international fund raising website. Jennie Walker is raising funds for her trip there as well.  I hope to use the Indie GoGo site at some point in the future to put into motion my dreams of a Hill Country Artist Retreat, Art Education and Art Ranch. 

Thea Marx of Contemporary Western Design has already set up a meeting with Harrods in London and plans to go on to Paris to meet with folks from the Louve about a Western Design and Style show like she puts on every year in Wyoming.  T. Cat Ford is a writer and will be meeting with theater companies about her play  THE CHAOS TRADE - An American Comedy of Investment Errors.  Debbie Nathan is the founder and  executive director of Artsbridge Inc.  a place that gives Israeli and Palestinian youth the opportunity to see each other as human beings using art. Okay I know I am mentioning mostly artists but that is who I usually connect with. 

Here are just a few of the interesting products/ businesses that are represented by the group:

 DESIGN

Adrienne Neff, adrienne neff design services llc  (Designer Wall paper WOW!)

Barbara Barran, Classic Rug Collection, Inc. (the Highest quality Custom rugs)

Vincent Lai, Skinny Vinny Designer bags

Roseanne Horn, tili group, llc. Tili Bags colorful ziptop plastic bags

Rachelle Kuramoto, kigo footwear LLC 

Jeanette Gray, PinkMeadow.com all things pink and green 

Harriet Seltzer, Things Deco (one of my favorite design styles!)

Jane Angelich with Super Collar a retractable leash collar

TOOLS

Bill McClelland, Bag Snaggers, Inc.

Nanette Hunter, D-Unique Tools- Universal Square

Kahoru Watanabe, Wing Power Inc (really neat Solar/ Wind towers) 

GAMES

Brian Mooney, The Storymatic 
Mark Burginger, Qubits Toy Company (this could go under design as well!)

Stephen de Zordo, InPlay Products, Inc. KOOBA

FOOD

Erica Kalick - Erica's Rugelach & Baking, Co Yum!

Kristin Sharma, Modern Day Masala

Artemis Kohas, Mshop LLC dba mastihashop (never heard of this but I REALLY want to try it) 

MEDIA

Donna Drake, Drake Media Network,Inc. Live it Up Show

Darnell Sue, Girl Power Hour

BEAUTY

Edna Ma  BareEase & cream to numb skin before waxing

Amy Galper  Buddha Nose Ltd

 

Please note there are quite a few Non profit groups as well and I just do not have time to list each one and their cause but I encourage you to go to the Contest website here and look them ALL up because this is such a great group.

I could go on and on  because there are so many unique and great company's represented and I hope that I get a chance to at least meet them all and connect with as many as possible. 

By the time you read this I will be on my way to New York.......